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Newcastle United agree €60M fee with Lille to sign Matias Fernandez-Pardo
The Belgian forward will sign a five-year deal at St. James' Park after completing a medical on transfer deadline day.
Newcastle United have wrapped up a deal to sign Belgian forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo from Lille, agreeing a transfer fee of approximately €60 million plus add-ons. The agreement lands on August 31, the final day of the English transfer window, with Fernandez-Pardo set to complete a medical on Tyneside before putting pen to paper on a five-year contract.
It is a significant outlay for a player who arrived at Lille just two years ago for around €10 million.
How the deal got done
Newcastle opened negotiations with offers in the €40-45 million range, a figure Lille dismissed almost immediately given their own valuation sat between €70 million and €75 million.
Fernandez-Pardo made clear he wanted to leave, and Lille responded by pulling him from first-team training and matchday squads in late August. He was notably absent from the squad that faced PSG on August 28, a very public signal that his time at the club was ending regardless of whether a fee had been agreed.
Who Newcastle are actually signing
Fernandez-Pardo is 22, Belgian at international level despite Spanish-Italian heritage, and has collected five senior caps so far. He plays primarily as a wide forward, the kind of profile that fits the modern pressing system Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle has been building since taking charge.
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Across 41 appearances in all competitions in the 2025/26 season, he registered eight goals and seven assists. Lille finished third in Ligue 1, a result that earned them a return to the Champions League.
He joined Lille permanently in August 2024, having previously been at the club on loan. That permanent deal cost around €10 million. Lille ultimately secured €60 million plus add-ons.
What this means for Newcastle
Fernandez-Pardo fits the template Newcastle have been working toward under Jaissle. He is young enough to grow into a cornerstone of their attack, with five years of contract security giving the club and player time to build something without the pressure of an impending exit conversation.
Whether the add-ons trigger depends on performance thresholds that Fernandez-Pardo will need to hit, giving Lille a route to more money if Newcastle get the best version of him.